A guide to Recruiting Gen Z
Generation Z, born between 1997 and 2012, are the most recent entrants into the workforce, causing headaches for recruiters whilst hiring managers are having to grapple with the dual challenge of attracting and retaining Gen Z talent.
Given the increasing number of Gen Z's in the workforce, it is important for hiring Managers to engage this demographic. So how can you refine your recruitment tactics in order to resonate with Gen Z and harness their strengths in a multigenerational workplace?
Understand what motivates Gen Z
- Identify Gen Z's priorities, including diversity, inclusion, and a sense of belonging
- Appreciate the influence of the global pandemic during their formative years, shaping their preferences for well-being and adaptable work arrangements
- Don’t underestimate the importance they place on a nurturing workplace culture and the significance they place on physical and mental well-being.
Reputation for Job-Hopping
- Embrace the reality that Gen Z frequently switches jobs in response to job security concerns
- Provide opportunities for upskilling to increase their opportunities for career growth and advancement
- Acknowledge that for Gen Z the traditional concept of a lifelong career with a single company is outdated
- Quitting a role they are unhappy in is seen as a strength by Gen Z, not a weakness!
Modify Recruitment Strategies
- Tailor job adverts and descriptions to be mobile-friendly and quick to read
- Simplify the hiring process, in order to recognise Gen Z's appreciation for efficiency
- Attract Gen Z candidates through channels they feel comfortable with. Don’t be afraid to use social media to attract younger candidates.
Meaningful Work
- Offer tasks that allow Gen Z to make a swift impact, avoiding mundane and unproductive assignments
- Gen Z value a skills-first approach, recognising that seniority does not automatically equate to greater value.
Encourage Co-Creation
- Leverage the strengths of each generation by fostering a collaborative working environment
- Implement cross-generational mentoring programs to facilitate the exchange of knowledge
- Stress the importance of uniting different generations in a collaborative spirit.
Creating a culture that bridges generational divides is vital when seeking to add more members of Gen Z to your team. Hiring managers play a pivotal role in establishing an environment that prioritises skills, allowing everyone, irrespective of age or tenure, to contribute and excel.
If you would like more tips on how to make your available roles appeal to Gen Z please get in touch.
Current Roles
Earlier this year, Madeleine attended a LinkedIn event called ‘Future Ready’ that focused on AI and how it can drive business development in the recruitment industry. Poor Mads had been joking for ages that one day her job would be overtaken by ChatGPT, so it was good to see her looking relieved the next day! 😂 As much as we use AI regularly to speed up certain tasks and save time, the human element is still very much needed to get decent results. For Chat GPT (or any AI software) to be of any real use, the processes behind it need to be solid, consistent and applied properly. You wouldn’t hire an admin assistant without giving them some training and we think of AI in the same way. If you wanted to use it to write a job spec, for example, you’d need to use a prompt that specifies the correct tone of voice, then check the text for inaccuracies, dodgy spelling and any missing information. AI is never going to replace our team’s decision-making, intuition or judge of character, so they don’t need to worry about being replaced! But what it does do is improve productivity so we can spend more time interacting with people and doing what we’re good at. 
How many times have you felt like you’re surrounded by idiots? There might be a very good reason for this (unless they are certified idiots, then you’re screwed!). 🥴 At Harte, we frequently refer to Persona Profiling, which uses four colours (red, blue, yellow and green) to identify individual traits so we can develop a better understanding of ourselves and others. From a recruitment point of view, this helps to define a job seeker’s characteristics and assess whether they’d be suited to a role or fit in with a business’s culture. Someone who is a ‘fiery red’ for example, will be results-orientated, strong-willed, and driven to achieve, whereas a ‘cool blue’ personality will have a more conventional energy that thrives on analysis and asking questions before making a move. Knowing this sort of information makes finding the right ‘fit’ for a company a whole lot easier because we have a clear idea of the traits and behaviours that are aligned with the role. It also gives us an indication of when we need to take a step back and slow things down in interviews to really get to know the job-seeker properly. If you’re keen to find out more about the four personality types, have a read of (or listen to) this book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Surrounded-Idiots-Behavior-Effectively-Communicate/dp/1250179947 Do you know what energy colour you lead by?
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